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TASK 2
TONIGHT WE OPEN THE POOL ...
Welcome to the second panel of Season 5!
This week, the designers were tasked with designing an editorial outfit for the theme abandoned waterpark / abandoned pool place. Think pool backrooms. For this task, I wanted to see designs that looked a bit wet, dirty and editorial, while at the same time true to the designer's style and still corresponding to the abandoned pool aesthetic.
Collectively, the 14 of you did not disappoint. There are about six designs that I considered handing the win to this week. I was a bit nervous that this task only made sense in my head, and I'm delighted that all of you not only got it but also embraced both the visual and abstract waterpark concept.
BRING YOUR BROTHER! mom said, so icearbr is joining us. Enjoy!
nicrobbo95
I realize now that it was a bit of a psycho move on my part to advice you to do a gown the following task, as it happened to be centered around swimming pools and such. The strongest aspect of this design is the architectural quality this has. There is this statuesque feeling to it that you often relate to statues and monuments. I find that creating something relating to brutalism in a task like this was a bit unexpected, but the more I think about it the smarter I find it: brutalism as an architectural style is about envoking a feeling of non-luxurious grandeur and yet also a feeling of emptiness. In other words, I really like what this dress does, it creates an echo. The use of baby yellow/lime is really tasteful and effective, it is the perfect amount and leaves you wanting more. It can also be seen as a small streak of sunlight hitting a concrete structure. The styling feels editorial, it makes sense with the dress. Solid work!
icearbr:
Cassandra.Goth
Cassandra! You must've been starving for redemption since your last longterm because this is the second week in a row that you've performed on a whole other level. Once again, this is a spectacular look. I asked you designers to come up with a look that had something adventureous over it. You managed to achieve that, mainly through the very clever choice of incorporating a backpack (which is more or less the symbol of going somewhere). The detail here that has got me drooling is the fact that the backpack, rendered in a murky color palette, looks like it's been discolored somehow. It really ties into the whole abandoned, dirty waterpark idea that this task is about. I could imagine that backpack has been in a puddle of chlorine by a corner for a couple of years before the model picked it up. The color choices for this look in general are fantastic: the dark teal against the lime skirt is so unusual and fresh. The top, consisting of various straps, you designed and further enhanced by deciding to render each strap in a different shade of blue. The unexpected orange shoes is just the cherry on top: I am in love with this. If I could change something it would be the tattoo sleeve, it is redundant and the overall look isn't needing it.
icearbr:
Razzing
This looks like a toy that's been melting in the sun. I wish I knew your thought process behind this design. How does the flames relate to the abandoned waterpark setting? The choice to be inspired by moss/mold was a decent idea, the execution falls flat. It looks more like sallad, I'd also advice you against having such a literal execution of a very literal concept, it's not imaginative. The middle part, the teal dress that fades into a suspicious green, is fabulous and you could've made the entire look about that dress. It didn't need a dragon's tail, flames, a huge coat, two accessories around the neck or a train. This has been your problem for three seasons now: when you find the balance you're close to being unbeatable, but when you don't find it then it sometimes goes into trainwreck territory. I thought you found such a great equilibrium between tastefulness and your dynamic creativity last week, so this surprises me. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that there's plenty of interesting ideas on display but none of them really merge together into one complete, impactful look. I'm sorry Peter, this look is the equivalent of an uncomfortable fever dream.
icearbr:
.Cow.
You've been out of the PR community since 2021 so I will overlook this, but it should be said that this dress has been made in different variations over the years. Not that you didn't put your own flair to it, though. I just can't give you many points for originality. The color work on the skirt is great: it looks more complicated than it actually is and that's because you combined two colors that happened to cause a grimy effect. I like that the pattern of the skirt makes it look like it's water running down from the top. I'm also a fan of the lime green shoes, they're a fresh choice since you don't see many lime colored shoes in long- or shortterms. The collar gives the whole look more attitude and a bit of an edge, it takes the dress from being too commercial into a more editorial area. There isn't much to say here: I think you can come up with more creative stuff than this, I've seen you do it before.
icearbr:
Cinthia
To anyone who gets it: this is so Amina core (Snawlterm S5/S7). At first I was annoyed with this look: the skirt with the belt and the shoes were featured so heavily back in 2015/2016 that I and probably some others still have PTSD from them. Still, I have to admit that it is a nice combination and that it looks good. Every now and then, why shouldn't we bring back old ways and methods? The strength that this design has isn't the silhouette: it isn't very exciting. Instead, it is the color palette and the textures. This dress, along with the hoodie, looks like it's just been laying in an abandoned pool for a couple of years, floating on top of some chlorine-filled water mixed with filth. Absolutely fantastic work with the textures and the color story. The careful inclusion of yellow, and the even more careful pop of lime, is so refreshing and brings an even greater depth to the look. This is a great example of how very small details can greatly elevate a design. Next week, I'd like to see a more daring silhouette, but equally good textures and color work.
icearbr:
LC22
The duality of this dress is a bit insane. It matches the abandoned waterpark aesthetic, but it could also make sense in a task that was about the architecture and art of some iconic European church. I have no clue how you constructed this dress, you don't often create work in which the dominating colors are white or gray and now I think you should do it more often. This dress took my breath away, it's divine. Relating to what I said earlier: this dress plays with both darkness and light. It shouldn't make sense to have something that looks so bright and in several ways clean merge as well with this task, but it does.The blue trim of the dress is cute and the veil gives this look an additional dirty factor which in this case was a relevant thing to do, but the green, slimy hair wasn't necessary for this look. I don't mind it, but it's not nearly as interesting as the other details. I don't think I have to say more about the dress, because it speaks so loudly (and yet so soft?) on it's own.
icearbr:
ohku
Your approach to go for a happier and more playful color palette paid off big time: you're the only one who did it and the joyfulness that is in this outfit is infectuous. One would usually relate these bright colors to a waterslide, and thus, out of all the looks this week, this is the one that captures the wild fun spirit that a waterpark has in general (and the excitement of breaking into one). Utilizing a veil in PR is quite risky as it gets into cliché territory 80 % of the time but in this instance I love it. Not only does it give the look a more editorial edge, it also resembles water dripping down your model's face. That head accessory around the ears is also quite cliché, and yet here you've colored them in a way we've never seen before and thus they look almost new. Although this look is filled with bright and colorful elements, there is a mysterious dress underneath it all, which brings the mind to a pool filled with algae. To use a shoe with the rubber textile was also a decent choice: it's wrong in the way that it's right. You blew me away with this one.
icearbr:
Peyton125
My jaw dropped a little when I saw this. I then stepped away from the computer and thought the look might just have an initial shock factor that wears off (as some designs do). Nope, I've looked at this about 20 times now and I'm still crazy about it. It's one thing for a designer to throw together a bunch of design elements to come up with an impactful look. It's on another whole impressive level though when a designer manages to come up with something that looks both simple and yet never before seen. Sure, there isn't an elaborate color palette on display but that's not what this look is about. This look is about sexy confidence, it's about playing with layers, nudity and modesty all into one. The bathing suit would be gorgeous on it's own, but it finds a perfect harmony with that fantastic avant garde coat. To top it off, the styling is impeccable as well. I have to agree with what Arber said in private to me: the shoes have a bit of character to them, while they're still a bit sexy and yet make sense in a pool setting. A classic heel would've been to easy. This whole look is high-end as f*ck, and it's a true original design that I predict people will look back at for long.
icearbr:
Player
I chose this look for you, not because it was the most visually pleasing, but because it had the most character to it and the most interesting design work out of the four. I am fascinated by this high fashion take on a pirate's jacket: does it work entirely? I'm not sure, but I'm still captivated by it and that's what a host like me wants. I don't want safe designs, I'd rather have something more chewy. In a weird way, I think I like to look at the individual details of the jacket more than I like the jacket as a whole, not sure that makes sense. The bathing suit (or top?) underneath is spectacular, it looks like water colors that's been exposed to water and is now dripping down your model's chest. The yellow heels are really cute as well. I think that perhaps the bathingsuit doesn't entirely match the jacket: they feel like they come from different collections. Not that everything has to or should be matchy matchy, but the combination is just slightly off. I wouldn't say this is a homerun but it's interesting, weird, gorgeous and fresh - and that's a win in it's own.
icearbr:
Sparkle
You made me choose between two strong looks, the one I chose was a sporty design that looked like it smelled like chlorine and it fascinated me. Then you kept (over)working this outfit I chose and it ended up losing pretty much everything I loved about it at the start. This is a good look, it's got two very similar textures at the bottom, but with different depth and richness to them, which creates a cool, slightly contrasting effect. To utilize sporty shoes and make them look runway ready is tricky: you managed to in the first look but here the colors make them too pedestrian for an editorial task like this. The bikini top is fabulous but it's doesn't grasp you for more than a couple of seconds I'm afraid. You have the goods to make it all the way to the end and win, but you weren't confident enough here in your own style and in your own fabulosity and the result is this look, which reflects the overall process you had: it looks anxious. It knows where to go but it doesn't end up anywhere. Moving forward, just remind yourself that your work is too damn good for this type of self doubt.
icearbr:
HerbyMainsted
This looks so dungeons and dragons but like a water section of the board game. The silhouette is powerful and when you told me that the inspiration was the plastic (waterslide) structures of an abandoned waterpark with moss growing on it, I thought you completely managed to fulfill your vision. I must also compliment you on the color palette: baby blue against an intensely dark green is quite a unique one. I'm not sure it would work in many other contexts, but I appreciate it and I'm even a little inspired by it. I especially love the shoulders: you constructed your own shoulder pieces that show a little more skin than the usual one that Habbo offers and that is where you shine: when you put your own spin on things. My main issue with this look is that it looks more like a cosplay costume than a fashion design for an editorial photoshoot. I think perhaps the baldness, which I love most of the time, do take it more into cosplay territory. This look could've been pumped up more with some fabulous hair or a nice hat. I'm also bored to tears by those platform heels, girl, now is the time to try out some new shoes. This comes across as an inspired piece, but the execution isn't entirely there.
icearbr:
Snawl
You told me that you really struggled this week. It's interesting, because there is an abstract rule about PR, which we have no control over, that if a task is too much related to a designer's strengths or aesthetic, then this designer will struggle and design themselves into a hole. On the contrary, a task that a designer doesn't initially vibe with will make them come up with what might be their best work ever. Ah, it's both a pain in the ass and a beautiful thing. This design is good, not great. I could imagine it in a 20-piece collection as look number 18 or 19, right before the spectacular final piece. By that I mean that this look has the aesthetic down cold, but both you and I know that this is not your best work. It simply lacks oomph. If I were to give you a piece of advice: if you end up in a situation like this, force yourself to utilize a clothing item you hate (or haven't worked with before). Create a challenge for yourself within the challenge. I like that you made an alteration to the vest with straps, adding that gray piece makes it more high-end and I like how it integrates with the skirt in a subdue way, looking at it you almost miss it. You've always had a knack for picking out interesting shoes, so that's also a redeeming factor.
icearbr:
SealChowderr
Last week you had the textures down, the silhouette down and there was an editorial feeling to your design. I'm surprised you didn't continue on that path aesthetically. This looks like a maritime lawyer or Suzan from the finance department who felt guilty and took her kids to the waterpark, but she will still work remotely while she's there. It looks like an office suit someone experimented with. I enjoy the earthy and rather cozy color palette, the yellow combined with the turquoise, the blue and a hint of beige is soothing. Pardon me, as I've already made fun of your design a little (which I do with love, trust me), but I believe the biggest problem that this design has isn't in the details but rather that as a whole it does not portray the wild, forbidden and exciting fun of breaking into a waterpark. It instead comes across as conforming. I know you asked for Tim Gunn advice, which I usually give out when something small should be changed, but in this instance I wouldn't really know where to begin. I think the star idea was neat, but the yellow pieces by the arms looks random. Although this design isn't your most succesful one, you managed to do one important thing here and it's that you intrigued me. There are interesting ideas on display and I want to see more.
icearbr:
doglover
Before I rave about this dress, I must call out the technical aspects to this, which are superb. Constructing this dress, you chose pieces, colors and textures in order to create a wet effect and the result is remarkable. The dress really does look soaking wet. Although this is the first LidlTerm season in which I allow the inclusion of hand items, I must say that this is one of the greatest use of it, in order to make fashion, that I've ever seen. This composition looks like seaweed that's been arranged and structured and is now met with a wave of water, or perhaps even seaweed against a blue plastic structure. The hair is very smart, it's in a shade of blue that is different enough to separate itself from the blue of the outfit, while at the same time it amplifies the aquatic feeling to the look by resembling a waterfall. The trim of the dress is in a softer and brighter shade of blue, which makes the color palette as a whole luscious. You are fairly new to the PR community, and yet you design like you've done it for a decade.
icearbr:
VERDICT
arber, this is for the best
RESULTS
Congratulations Peyton125 - you are the winner of the second task of Season 5. In a panel with some incredibly competitive looks, the moment I laid eyes on your look I knew it was the one. This is a top notch design, it's easily one of the most memorable and sexy (yet tasteful) designs LidlTerm has ever seen. You truly earned the win on this one, fantastic job.
Kudos to doglover (second time in a row), ohku and LC22 who landed in the top this week. All three of you came up with designs that were worthy of a win. Watch out though, you're competing against a group of designers in which it's impossible to tell who will progress this season.
ELIMINATION
Razzing and HerbyMainsted - it pains me to announce that the two of you have been eliminated after this round.
Razzing, I'm sorry, I just think your look had everything but the kitchen sink in it. I love different and unusual things, but there has to be a line drawn somewhere. You have a fire inside of you and when you not only bring out that fire but control it, you create work that is true art. You can also be proud knowing that you came up with what are probably the two most spectacular designs during LidlTerm Season 2 and 3. I am looking forward to reading your longterm and I wish you good luck with it. Thank you for being part of Season 5.
HerbyMainsted, know that for a long time I have admired and cherished you, and that will never change. You and I are fellow Snawlterm winners, although in this moment I can hear you whisper that you did beat me after all! This was a tough decision to make as it was between you and a couple of other designers. I just felt, based on this panel, that the others showed a little more oomph. For two weeks in a row, you haven't performed at your best, which eventually happens to everyone in life. You are a damn supernova and on behalf of the PR community, your presence is a privilege to all of us. Thank you Herby!
To find out the full rankings, please visit the Progress page (click here)
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